Duck-billed dinosaurs may have been the roosters of their day, a startling new discovery has suggested.

At least one species of the giant plant-eaters had a head crowned by a fleshy cock's comb.

Scientists identified it in a rare mummified fossil of one of the dinosaurs which preserved impressions of soft tissues.

A reconstruction of the duck-billed dinosaur Edmontosaurus, showing its 'cock's comb'. Scientists identified it in a rare mummified fossil of one of the dinosaurs which preserved impressions of soft tissues

'Until now, there has been no evidence for bizarre soft-tissue display structures among dinosaurs,' said lead researcher Dr Phil Bell from the University of New England in Australia.

'These findings dramatically alter our perception of the appearance and behaviour of this well-known dinosaur and allow us to comment on the evolution of head crests in this group.'

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'It also raises the thought-provoking possibility of similar crests among other dinosaurs.'

He added: 'An elephant's trunk or a rooster's crest might never fossilise because there's no bone in them. This is equivalent to discovering for the first time that elephants had trunks.'

The mummified specimen, from the species Edmontosaurus regalis, was found in rock deposits near the city of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada

The Edmontosaur was one of the last surviving dinosaurs. It was a plant-eater, probably living on a diet of trees and shrubs. It had about 1,000 teeth. Pictured is a fossil of its skull

DUCK-BILLED EDMONTOSAURUS

The Edmontosaur was one of the last surviving dinosaurs. It was a plant-eater, probably living on a diet of trees and shrubs. Researchers believe it had about 1,000 teeth.

It was a slow-moving dinosaur with few defences, but may have had keen senses to help it avoid predators in its swampy habitat.

Edmontosaurus is a genus of crestless hadrosaurid - also known as the duck-billed dinosaur.

Duck-billed dinosaurs, described as 'gentle giants', roamed North America between 65 and 75 million years ago and grew to about 40 feet in length.

They were America's most common dinosaur, filling the same ecological niche occupied by antelopes and deer today.

Fossils of the Edmontosaur have been found in western North America, including Montana, USA, and Alberta, Canada.

Duck-billed dinosaurs, described as 'gentle giants', roamed North America between 65 and 75 million years ago and grew to about 40 feet in length.

They were America's most common dinosaur, filling the same ecological niche occupied by antelopes and deer today.

The mummified specimen, from the species Edmontosaurus regalis, was found in rock deposits near the city of Grande Prairie in Alberta, Canada.

Scientists were excited when they found evidence of skin impressions. But nothing prepared them for what was to come.

'We have lots of skulls of Edmontosaurus, but there are no clues on them that suggest they might have had a big fleshy crest,' said Dr Bell.

'There's no reason that other strange fleshy structures couldn't have been present on a whole range of other dinosaurs, including Tyrannosaurus rex or Triceratops.'

The discovery is reported in the latest issue of the journal Current Biology.

In roosters and other birds, bright red crests are used to attract mates and deter rivals. The dinosaur's crest may have performed a similar function, the scientists believe.

'We might imagine a pair of male Edmontosaurus sizing each other up, bellowing, and showing off their head gear to see who was the dominant male and who is in charge of the herd,' said Dr Bell.

Edmontosaurus is a genus of crestless hadrosaurid - also known as the duck-billed dinosaur. Duck-billed dinosaurs, described as 'gentle giants', roamed North America between 65 and 75 million years ago and grew to about 40 feet in length